Promise
by PurgatoryKabuki
Summary: (Formerly "What if?") Naruto manages to weasel his way into joining Sasuke on his quest for power and vengeance. Eventually he ends up making promises; promises that he might not even be able to keep. This is a story about Naruto and Sasuke's complex relationship. Not necessarily a Naru/Sasu centric fic. I got other things in mind for them. MalexMale/Yaoi/Shonen Ai - CANONcentric
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello! This is my first try at Naruto fan fiction. This will be primarily a yaoi story, basically a revision of events leading up to and during part two. There will be a lot of canon. It starts off with a bit of Sasuke/Naruto but I will not keep it that way, at least not in the sense that Sasuke and Naruto are romantically involved. There will be a few pairings going on, or at least hinted to.

Warning!

This first chapter has graphic content.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was after the fiasco of the previous chunin exam that Naruto had decided to get to the bottom of what was going on with Sasuke. Naruto and Jiraiya had recently returned to the Hidden Leaf with Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton in tow. Sasuke was becoming more and more volatile with each passing day since coming in contact with his brother, Itachi. Naruto didn't like that no matter what he said or did, Sasuke wouldn't change his attitude and just grew more spiteful towards the blonde. No one would answer Naruto's questions. They always dismissed them or just pegged it on his hunger for revenge against Itachi. Naruto knew something was up. It was beyond Itachi.

After sneaking around and keeping an eye on Sasuke, Naruto knew enough of what was going on. One of the legendary sannin, Orochimaru, marked Sasuke and promised him power. Naruto may not have been the smartest person in the Hidden Leaf, but he knew it was only a matter of time that he left in search of Orochimaru. No amount of talking to Sasuke was making a difference. The raven haired boy was as stubborn as they come, which is why Naruto had a plan set just in case, though he knew no one would approve of his plan.

Naruto took to watching the only path that led out of the village every night as Sasuke's mood got worse and worse. He was hidden up in a tree with a handful of letters stuffed in his orange jacket. He had carefully written them when he firmly decided on going though this plan should Sasuke ever decide to leave. He was only up in the tree for about an hour when he caught sight of raven hair walking down the path. This was it.

Before he could move, however, Naruto caught sight of Sakura chasing after Sasuke. So she was watching him too, huh? Naruto watched as the girl pathetically begged Sasuke to stay, and as expected, Sasuke wasn't going to listen to her and swiftly knocked her out and set her limp form on a nearby bench before continuing down the path.

Naruto clenched his fight, finding his resolve once more. He silently summoned a shadow clone and handed the letters to him. "You know what to do," was all he whispered as the clone silently sped towards its destination.

He jumped out of the tree, landing just behind Sasuke. "So, you decided to show up, too," the raven haired boy said, not bothering to face Naruto, but he had stopped walking.

"I know what you plan on doing, Sasuke. I may not know every detail, but I've managed to overhear enough. Sasuke, are you sure you're making the right choice by going to Orochimaru?"

Sasuke turned around to gauge the blonde. He had expected Naruto to yell at him and be irrational, but instead he was calm. Sasuke leveled his gaze on Naruto's intense blue eyes. "Orochimaru is powerful, one of the legendary sannin. You've been training under Jiraiya and look how far you've come. I feel like this is my only chance and nothing you say or do will keep me here, Naruto. Sakura begged me to stay but obviously that didn't work, now did it?"

Naruto smirked, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He was half surprised when Sasuke didn't shrink away from the contact. "I'm not going to beg you to stay. I know how stubborn you are. I was wondering if you would let me join you."

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction before he narrowed them, his face showing how skeptical he was. "Why would you want to come with me? You'll most likely lose any chance at becoming Hokage and become a criminal. What game are you playing, Naruto?"

Naruto's smirk only grew, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth. "I'm not playing any sort of game. I want to go with you. You're like a brother to me, Sasuke. I want to help you. Besides, you and I both know that we push each other to get stronger. I also think Orochimaru might have information regarding the group of missing nin who are after me."

Sasuke regarded Naruto for a moment, cold black eyes searching his face before briefly flitting over to Sakura's prone form behind Naruto. Sasuke sighed, and then inclined his head, hoping he wouldn't regret allowing Naruto to tag along. Naruto beamed at him and they continued down the path that led out of the village.

* * *

Naruto's shadow clone had managed to deliver most of the letters so far, having left two of the three on the Hokage's desk, one addressed to Tsunade and the other for Jiraiya. Now he was making his way to drop off his remaining letter at Kakashi's place.

The clone perched himself on the roof, next to the window he was sure was Kakashi's apartment. He slowly slid back the window and slipped inside, finding himself in Kakashi's bedroom. The clone looked around, missing the fact that the bed was empty despite it being in the middle of the night. He found a good spot to place the letter and was about to form the seal to release himself when a form stepped out of the shadows of the room and into the stream of moonlight.

"I had a feeling you were up to something, Naruto."

The clone froze, eyes wide as they locked onto the form of Kakashi, who was still fully dressed. Kakashi clearly had been anticipating Naruto's arrival.

Kakashi sighed, his lone visible eye penetrating. "I don't need to read that letter to know what you're doing. You're also about as stubborn as Sasuke. I only hope you understand the situation you will be in now."

"Kakashi-sensei... I don't know why, but I have this feeling like I need to stay with Sasuke. Orochimaru is a bad man, but I don't think he will hurt either of us, and he might even have information regarding the Akatsuki. This is a perfect opportunity for me to grow stronger and protect everyone I care about. Have faith in me," the clone said, determination etched into his features.

Kakashi regarded the boy for a moment. "I won't stop them from chasing after you two. I also wish to tell you something that might come in handy, since I doubt you've figured it out yet."

The clone furrowed his brow. "Kakashi-sensei, I'm a clone. How will the real me know what you tell me?"

Kakashi's eye crinkled in a way that showed he was smiling. "Just as I thought, you don't know. When a shadow clone is released, it shares the information and experiences with the original. So when you release yourself, everything I tell you now will be given to the original Naruto's memory bank. Make sense?"

The clone seemed to contemplate what Kakashi said, and then the look that appeared on his face amused Kakashi. Naruto understood and possibly had ideas based off this information.

Kakashi placed a hand atop Naruto's head affectionately. "If you can, keep in contact with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and myself. Stay safe, Naruto."

The clone beamed at Kakashi before releasing himself, disappearing in a puff of smoke. The jounin hoped that he made the right decision just then, or this could turn into a bigger problem than it would have been. Kakashi sighed and then made his way, lazily, to the Hokage Tower, as he made no promises to his student about delaying his own actions.

Off in the forest surrounding the village, Naruto let out a small gasp. Sasuke gave him a sidelong glance. "What is it, Naruto?" The blonde didn't answer, mostly because he didn't know what to say and nothing was wrong. Naruto merely shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

* * *

_Two and a half years later..._

* * *

Kabuto tried to remain indifferent as he walked down one of the many dimly lit hallways of their current base of operations, the only sounds were of his footsteps on the stone floor and the very distracting moaning coming from one of the rooms to which was his destination. The man rubbed his temples in annoyance, trying to remind himself that soon Orochimaru could take Sasuke's body and dispose of the blonde brat to which was currently the source of the moaning that was echoing down the hall. Sasuke and his companion, Naruto, went at it like rabbits during mating season too often. What bothered him the most is that Sasuke knew, and rather enjoyed the fact that his actions drove Kabuto insane.

Kabuto stood before the door that belonged to Sasuke and Naruto's room, trying to compose himself so as to not give Sasuke the satisfaction of knowing all too plainly that the brats were annoying. He was about to open the door when he heard "Idiot! I told you not to bite me there," followed by a playful whine from Naruto. "Aww, c'mon. I know you like it, Sasuke. Your _thing_ twitches when I bite your nipples." There was a pause and then the moaning resumed. Kabuto pushed up his glasses and fixed his features into a stoic mask before barging into the room.

Sasuke clearly ignored Kabuto's intrusion, much to the apparent dismay of Naruto who tried to shy away from Sasuke, but the raven would have none of it as he kept pounding into the blonde beneath him with slow and deliberate thrusts which elicited reluctant moans from Naruto.

"S-stop, Sasuke. K-Ka-Kabuto is watching..."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder, his black eyes boring into Kabuto. Kabuto didn't miss the clear amusement in those dark depths. "I don't think you truly wish me to stop, Naruto. Your mouth says stop, but your body, particularly your ass and cock, tell me otherwise," he practically purred, making a show of stroking Naruto's leaking manhood, all the while staring at Kabuto.

Kabuto resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tried his best to ignore the strong smell of sex in the air. He cleared his throat, preparing to get down to the reason he was here in the first place. "If I could have your attention for a brief moment, you two," he said in a bored tone. Sasuke rolled his eyes before ceasing his thrusting, but remaining embedded within the blonde. Seeing as that was about as how good this situation was going to get, Kabuto continued. "Lord Orochimaru and I are going to go pay an old _friend_ a visit. So while we're gone, Lord Orochimaru wants you both to remain inside this place and resume training. That's all I needed to inform you of. Do continue."

Sasuke had already resumed pounding into the blonde beneath him before Kabuto had even finished speaking. The smug smirk on the raven brat's face irked Kabuto. Feigning nonchalance, Kabuto left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. He clenched his jaw out of annoyance as he swiftly walked down the hallway, the sounds of sex echoing all around him.

"Insolent brats."

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were practicing their taijutsu skills, adding in their chakra control and manipulation skills for offense and defense, when they heard three sets of footsteps, one set more than they expected. This gained Naruto's attention, which in return opened him up for an attack from Sasuke. Naruto refocused his attention on Sasuke and immediately seized the oncoming blow, twisting Sasuke's arm. Sasuke was forced to turn around so Naruto was pinning his arm behind his back.

"I was distracted and yet I'm still faster than you, Sasuke," said Naruto, a cheeky grin spreading across his face under the mask he wore that came up over his nose.

Sasuke grit his teeth as he twisted around, forcing Naruto to let go and assume a different stance to counter what ever the raven was about to send his way now. Sadly for the blonde, even though he blocked the kick to the gut from Sasuke, the chakra behind the attack forced him back into a pillar within the large room, his shoulder colliding with the hard stone. Naruto let out a hiss of pain, clutching his shoulder as he slid down to the floor.

Sasuke sauntered over to Naruto and leaned down so he was hovering over the blonde, a crooked smirk upon his lips. "You may be faster than me, but I'm stronger, Naruto." Sasuke would have said more but his words died upon his tongue as Naruto, with a smooth movement faster than Sasuke could make out without his Sharingan active, pressed his fingers to the seal tattooed upon the shoulder he was clutching seemingly in pain and drew a tanto, holding it against Sasuke's neck.

Impossibly blue eyes danced mischievously. "Dead," was the simple proclamation from the blonde. There was a pause as they remained like that, the room deadly silent as they regarded each other.

Sasuke's smirk had disappeared, replaced with a false frown. "I thought we agreed to no weapons. Such a cheater," the raven purred, watching as Naruto noticed the tip of Sasuke's sword pressed into his side.

There was a round of slow clapping from the entrance of the room they were currently in. Naruto and Sasuke immediately lowered their weapons, and Sasuke helped Naruto up. Naruto pressed the tip of the tanto against the seal on his left shoulder, and waited for the seal to reactivate to allow him to sheath the blade within the seal once again. Sasuke did the same, though he hadn't gone to the extremes of dealing with that kind of sealing technique as Naruto had.

"Such a brilliant display of deception, Sasuke and Naruto. You both have come such a long way," came the slick, almost condescending voice of Orochimaru. "Wouldn't you agree, Kabuto?"

Kabuto clenched his jaw before agreeing with Orochimaru. Sasuke smirked, knowing full well that Kabuto hated him and Naruto. The raven's gaze locked onto the eyes of the new kid standing slightly behind Orochimaru and Kabuto. As Sasuke was sizing the newcomer up, he noticed something akin to fear flickered within those emotionless eyes and the boy stumbled back. Sasuke grinned wolfishly, liking the effect he had on the guy.

Meanwhile Naruto was watching the exchange between Sasuke and the new guy, his brow furrowed as a sign that he was frowning. The blonde placed a hand on Sasuke's arm, gaining the raven's attention. He shook his head slightly before tugging his mask down to reveal his face. Naruto gave a warm smile to the new guy. "Hello, I'm Naruto," he said kindly, gesturing towards the raven beside him. "This is Sasuke. Who might you be?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. This is Sai, our newest recruit so to speak. He's come to me on the behalf of Danzo, who wishes to work with me on something oh so special," said Orochimaru, a dark glint in his eyes. The snake sannin never trusted the jinchuriki so he rarely divulged his plans, he preferred the boy to work for that sort of information. He knew all too well that Naruto wasn't here simply on behalf of Sasuke. "By the way, Sasuke, Naruto, your old team has really become rather pathetic. Though that kunoichi finally seems to be of use rather than a sniveling little brat. Tsunade is no doubt teaching her."

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction before he schooled his features into a more impassive expression. "Was Sai with them?" The response he received was a curt incline of the sannin's head. "I see. When did you come in contact with them? I thought you guys were going to see a friend."

"Seems they've killed at least one of the Akatsuki. One which we've been using."

At that, Sasuke stiffened, his eyes narrowing on the sannin.

"Relax, boy. Itachi is still alive. They killed Sasori, possibly Deidara as well. They somehow got information about our rendezvous point. Though I suppose they did us a favor in the end," said Orochimaru, his long tongue flicking out as he gazed back towards Sai. The new guy seemed nonplussed by this action, which was odd to Naruto. The blonde always found it creepy when the snake sannin did that.

"Kabuto, would you show Sai to his room? Come Sasuke, Naruto. I wish to work on some new jutsu with you both."

Sasuke and Naruto quickly followed Orochimaru down a hallway adjacent from where Kabuto led Sai. The trip was silent for a moment, besides the sound of footsteps on the hard stone floor, until Sasuke leaned in close, his lips ghosting along the flesh of Naruto's ear. "I don't like that guy, he seems a bit off to me," the raven whispered.

Naruto hummed a response, sounding indifferent. Sai did seem off, but the blonde wouldn't judge him for now. What worried Naruto was the fact that Sai was found with Team 7 and he was torn between feeling relief and discomfort. The team was close and would undoubtedly chase after Sai if the guy betrayed them, that is if they were still alive. He hoped they were alright, but he also hoped that they wouldn't come here. There was also a chance that Sai's presence was a trap, that he was leading Team 7 to their location, but Orochimaru would've long since killed Sai if he had suspected such, though the sannin rarely did logical things and preferred to toy with his prey.

Naruto balled his hands into fists at his sides and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. He had an odd feeling at the pit of his stomach. He had his suspicions of what might happen, and the name Danzo didn't help. Naruto knew some things about that old man, considering he found information about him not too long ago in the data stores Orochimaru has.

* * *

As Sai was led down the hall by Kabuto, he mentally went over what his mission was and began to calculate a plan of execution that would be best for such a job. Sasuke was indeed a threat and should be eliminated, for more than the reason that he would be Orochimaru's next vessel, that much Sai could agree with. What began to bother him was the blonde guy with him. Sai's second target, or at least that should be his second target. He was expecting a troublesome brat like what was described to him within the bingo book, but the Naruto he saw moments before wasn't a threat. Not a single alarm was raised within him when he briefly locked eyes with the blonde. Not like what happened with Sasuke. Sai was sure Naruto was a pure heart, even if he was a missing nin.

Sai inwardly sighed. The reaction Sasuke roused from him earlier must have clouded his judgment. He had a mission and he could not fail. Even if Naruto had seemed to try to comfort and reassure him before, it was lost on the ANBU. Naruto clearly was no longer loyal to the Leaf and that made him a threat.

"Ah, here we are. This will be your room, hm... Sai, was it?"

Sai stared at the bespectacled man blankly before entering the room that he was led to. He looked around, sizing up the place. The room was good enough, he supposed. It didn't matter.

"Hm," the older man mused. "Not the talkative type, huh? No matter, besides I need to lock you in here for a while. Can't have you snooping around. I'm sure you understand, don't you?"

Sai regarded the bespectacled man with a bored expression, waiting for him to get the hint. Said man rolled his eyes before leaving the room, closing and locking the door as he went. Sai stood there, listening to the sound of footsteps fade away. Once he was sure Kabuto wasn't around anymore, Sai pulled out a scroll and began to summon his bingo book.

Holding the small black book in his hand he began to thumb through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He stopped when two familiar faces stared back at him. Sasuke hadn't changed much, if anything he looked more cold and intimidating. Naruto, however, changed drastically. Staring at the picture before him and the description underneath, putting both people together in his mind. If it wasn't for the blonde hair, impossibly blue eyes, and marks on his cheeks that resembled whiskers, Sai would have mistaken the boy he met moments ago for someone else. No surprise that at least the information he was given on one of his targets wasn't accurate. Neither boy has made contact with anyone since they left the Leaf almost three years ago. He expected a boisterous individual, headstrong and stupid; not the calm, reserved, empathetic boy he met. Something struck Sai wrong, but it wasn't his place to go against a mission. Such was engrained into him since he was a young boy.

Sai was brought out of his internal musings when he heard someone unlocking and opening the door. He caught sight of the envelope he had given Orochimaru and Kabuto earlier lying on his bed. Perhaps the idiot with glasses forgot it, so he turned back to the desk and began to make it look like he was painting. Such was his mistake when he was then pinned down against the desk, his least favorite kunoichi with monstrous strength was blabbering on about betrayal. Sai soon found himself ensnared in wood, facing Sakura and Team 7's current leader, Yamato. Seems he's failed his mission. Danzo won't be happy.

"Where are they, Sai?" inquired Sakura. Such surprised him, he figured she would first ask about his mission, but then again... This ugly girl had a one track mind.

"Who?" he said, knowing it would upset her.

"You idiot! Sasuke and Naruto. Where are they?"

"Hm," he mused. "I don't know. What I do know is that they are here. In fact I'd be inclined to help you find them if you would free me."

Sakura gnashed her teeth and raised her fist, preparing to punch the life out of Sai. Yamato quickly grabbed her wrist, causing Sakura to look at Yamato with heated confusion. Yamato did that weird thing with his eyes that left people feeling uncomfortable and afraid of the seemingly gentle man. Sakura immediately shrank away from him. The action almost made Sai want to bark a genuine laugh. Almost.

"Sakura, calm down. I don't think Sai is lying. Orochimaru is a cautious man, even if he isn't logical. It's unlikely Sai would know much given the amount of time he's been in his company, or even in this base," said Yamato, clearly the only level headed one here.

Sai molded his features into his signature fake smile. "That is correct. Free me of this wood jutsu and I'll aid you in finding your long lost companions. My beasts will make quick work of it."

Yamato freed Sai of his binds, causing Sakura to begin protesting. Again, Yamato did the eye intimidation maneuver and she immediately ceased her incessant babbling. Sai swiftly stood and went to the desk, grabbing a blank scroll, ink and brush. With his fake smile still on his face, he turned to Sakura and Yamato. "Alright, I'll start sending out my beasts. Let's split up," and with that he left the room quickly.

Sakura leaned against the desk, sighing. "Was it necessary to free him?" Sakura turned and began to look at what ever was on the desk, trying to figure out exactly what Sai was up to.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I can track him down easily enough should he try to deceive us again," said Yamato, walking towards the door but stopped when he saw an envelope on the bed, similar to the one he saw earlier. He picked it up and began glancing at its contents, brow furrowing as he did.

"Yamato... I don't think Sai came here with the intention of truly betraying the Leaf on behalf of Danzo. Look," said Sakura, holding up a small book. Yamato looked at it and was now staring at Sasuke and Naruto's picture. A bingo book.

They both stared at each other for a moment, and then seemingly on the same train of thought, they both dashed out of the room, hot on Sai's trail.

* * *

Sakura and Yamato were running down a long hallway when they came to another hallway connecting to the one they were in. They paused, waiting for Yamato to pin down Sai using the tracking seed. Suddenly they heard a loud explosion and Sakura's heart sank. _No! _Sakura took off in the direction of the explosion, not waiting for Yamato. After making a right turn down a different hallway, she saw light at the end of the hallway which must be where the explosion originated.

Picking up her pace, Sakura readied herself to unleash hell on Sai if he was still alive. Her anger intensified as the guy came into view, unscathed. Sakura grit her teeth, channeling chakra into her fists as she broke out of the hallway and into the crater.

"Sai, I will not let you hurt Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, about to land a blow on the unflinching robot. However, before she could make contact, a blur of red and orange came before her and a hand grabbed her fist, effectively nullifying her advances. There was a pressure on her right fist, not enough to hurt, but more as a warning. She vaguely registered another hand on her left wrist doing the same.

Sakura was in shock, she couldn't even bring herself to give the person who stopped her a piece of her mind. Her mint green eyes took in the man before her, trying to figure out just who the hell stopped her. He was slightly taller than her, wearing black sandals and black pants that came down just bellow the knees, a black skin tight shirt with only one sleeve that covered the entirety of his right arm and hand, sans the index and middle fingers, the neck of which was covering the lower half of his face. An oxblood vest with a high collar, zipped up halfway, with the Uzumaki clan's symbol on the back in orange, over which was burnt orange fabric resting at his hips, belted off with a thick rope tied at the front in an intricate knot. Sakura's eyes lingered on the tattooed seals on the exposed left arm, the bright orange fingernails, before looking up into those blue eyes. She felt like she knew this person. It might have been more obvious to her if the man's blonde hair was spiky like it used to be, but he now wore his long hair up in a high ponytail resting at the crown of his head, bangs threatening to obscure his eyesight, long pieces framing his face.

The man before her wasn't... Couldn't be... "Naruto?"

Blue eyes lit up and danced with playfulness. "I'm a bit hurt that you don't wish you protect me, too, Sakura."

"Stop fooling around, Naruto. You should have let Sakura kill Sai," came the bored tone of Sasuke causing Sakura to look up at him. Sasuke was dressed similarly to Naruto but in hues of gray and blue. She couldn't stop herself from ogling at him, her old fangirl self bubbling up within.

Yamato finally showed up, looking slightly irritated at Sakura's carelessness. He quickly took in the situation and was immediately on the offensive.

"Who are you? Where's Kakashi?"

Yamato's attention was brought to the blonde who was still had his grip on Sakura's arms. His brow furrowed in confusion over the peculiar question. "I'm Yamato, filling in for Kakashi. He was injured in a battle against two Akatsuki members," he said, unsure why he was supplying such information. Yamato watched as the blonde's pupils elongated. The first warning sign, but his eyes didn't bleed red. Still, Yamato readied himself to deal with the nine-tails properly.

"Did they attack the Leaf?"

"No... They attacked the Sand. They got Gaara."

Naruto's eyes bled red, nails became claws, and red-orange chakra began to bubble around him. His grip tightened on Sakura, who in response screamed. Sai took the opportunity to attack Naruto from behind, but he was stopped by Sasuke, who in a series of swift movements, pinned Sai to a large piece of rubble within the crater using his katana, piercing him through the shoulder. Sasuke then turned his attention to Naruto. He pushed Sakura back with enough force to wrench her arms free from Naruto's grasp, making her collide into Yamato which effectively stopped him from taming the nine-tails' chakra.

Naruto growled as he was spun around. Sasuke cupped his face with both hands, staring deeply into Naruto's eyes. After a moment all traces of the nine-tails' chakra vanished and Naruto was in control once again. Sasuke pressed his forehead against Naruto's, sighing. "Idiot, keep control over your emotions. You know what happens when you don't."

Naruto closed his eyes, a tear escaping as he leaned into Sasuke's touch. He brought up a hand, resting it on Sasuke's. "Sorry," was all he said. For a moment they stood like that, everyone else forgotten.

Yamato stared disbelievingly at them, for a different reason than why Sakura was. Sakura clutched her right hand against her chest, tears brimming her eyes as she stared at Sasuke and Naruto. Jealously welled within her.

Sasuke took notice of Sakura watching him, and a mischievous expression passed through his dark eyes. He tugged down Naruto's mask until his lips were exposed and then leaned into the blonde, pressing his lips firmly against Naruto's. It wasn't long before the blonde fully responded, still having momentarily forgotten about everyone else around them.

There was a clatter of metal hitting a stone surface which brought everyone's attention back to Sai. Sai had managed to pull the sword out of the stone and his flesh, freeing himself. Sasuke watched as he clumsily stood up, clutching his injured shoulder, blood trickling down his arm and onto the ground. Sasuke found himself mildly amused that Sai didn't show that he was in a lot of pain, his face remained impassive, if not bored. Sai leaned back against the stone wall, growing weak from loss of blood.

Sasuke summoned chidori, his right hand crackling with blue energy. "I suppose it's time to finish you off, hn... I forgot your name. Too bad I didn't hit a vital spot in my haste earlier," and with that Sasuke shaped the chidori into a thin blade and shot it out towards Sai, aiming between his eyes. "I'll make you regret threatening Naruto's life."

"No, Sasuke!"

The chidori blade stopped a few inches short of Sai's head. Naruto had grabbed Sasuke's wrist with his left hand, turning slightly to try and make eye contact with Sasuke. However, the raven's eyes were pinned on Sai, watching and waiting for any change in Sai's expression as he began to inch the blade closer to him once again.

"Sasuke, listen to me. He is not our enemy. Sai isn't the person you want to kill. He is a leaf ninja just like you and me. Understand that he was clearly given orders to eliminate us, but we aren't a threat. I cannot allow you to kill Sai, because if we do then the Leaf would think otherwise," said Naruto, speaking lowly to Sasuke, trying to make sure Orochimaru and Kabuto wouldn't overhear if they were near their location. He tightened his grip on Sasuke's wrist when the blade made contact with Sai's forehead, barely piercing the flesh.

Sasuke wavered for a moment, his chidori blade had stopped moving once again. The raven watched as a thin stream of blood trickled from the shallow wound on Sai's face. Sasuke grit his teeth before releasing the jutsu and whirling around on Naruto. He grabbed Naruto by the neck and shoved the blonde roughly against the stone wall. Blue eyes stared up at him with stunned disbelief.

"There is that hero complex. I was wondering when I'd see that again. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Sasuke said, venom practically dripping off his words. "Listen closely, Naruto. The day we left the Leaf was the day we no longer had any ties to that village. We are not leaf nin. The world isn't sunshine and rainbows, Naruto. You seem to forget that we are shinobi, our lives are in danger every moment of every day. Regardless of how you feel, it's clear to me we are classified as enemies to the Leaf. Why do you feel the need to protect someone who only a moment ago would have gladly taken your life?"

Sasuke stared into Naruto's eyes, waiting for an answer. When he didn't get one, he tightened his grip on Naruto's neck, threatening to choke him to death; however, Naruto wasn't fighting back. He merely stared up at Sasuke. The look in the blonde's eyes told Sasuke something much more clearly than words would. Sasuke was an idiot, that he was the foolish one here. Unable to properly speak, Naruto settled for placing a hand on Sasuke's cheek in an affectionate manner, a shaky smile forming upon his lips. After a short delay, Sasuke pulled away from Naruto, releasing his hold upon the blonde's neck and out of reach of his touch as if Naruto's touch burned him. Sasuke quickly turned away from Naruto, but not before he caught a glimpse of the hurt within those blue eyes.

The raven walked over to where his katana lay on the ground near Sai. He picked it up and flicked it several times expertly, ridding the blade of Sai's blood. Just as he was about to sheath it, he heard "You really are an idiot." This remark caused several things to happen at once. Sasuke turned a murderous glare on Sai who was sitting on the ground with a fake smile plastered on his face, Yamato quickly created a thick wood wall between Sasuke and Sai, and finally Naruto, who remained against the wall opposite Sai, threw a three pronged kunai at Sasuke's back which Sasuke sensed and barely dodged causing the kunai to land with a resounding thud into the wood wall.

Sasuke slowly turned his head to stare at the blonde behind him. Naruto had his right arm outstretched and the inside of his left forearm turned outwards revealing the seal there, a position left over from throwing the summoned kunai. Sasuke's now red eyes noted that the blonde had his head tilted down, causing his bangs to hide his eyes, though there was a cocky smirk resting upon Naruto's lips. Naruto knew he'd pay for his actions later, but it didn't matter to him.

"That's enough, boys. Come, we must go," came the drawling tone of Orochimaru's voice causing everyone to avert their gaze to the snake sannin and Kabuto who was standing beside him on the ground above Naruto. Well everyone but Sai as he had wood obstructing his view, not that he cared. Almost immediately Sasuke and Naruto jumped up to join the older pair.

"When did you show up, Orochimaru?" inquired Sasuke in a snide tone.

"Oh, I've been here for quite some time," the snake sannin drawled, flicking his tongue out as he eyed Naruto out of the corner of his eyes. Orochimaru then turned his gaze upon where Sai was, hidden behind the wood wall. "Pity," was the only remark on that. He turned his full attention on Yamato and Sakura. "Remember what we agreed upon. I let you live in exchange for killing off the Akatsuki," and at Sasuke's petulant glare he added, "Ah, except Itachi of course."

"We didn't agree upon anything, Orochimaru," said Yamato as he helped up Sakura who had managed to heal her hand. Naruto had almost broke all of her fingers.

Orochimaru laughed by way of response, and all four of them began to burn away in some sort of teleportation jutsu.

Sakura trained her eyes on Sasuke and Naruto, her heart breaking. "Sasuke, Naruto! Don't do this. Don't leave again. You know Orochimaru is just after Sasuke's body. You're both in danger. Don't go, Sasuke."

"Such is the price I pay for vengeance," was all Sasuke said, as if it was obvious.

At that remark, Naruto looked away with a pained expression upon his features, and Orochimaru's grin grew more sinister. Sakura merely watched, tears streaming down her cheeks as they vanished from sight.

There was a long moment of silence, no one moving. Sai eventually got up and made his way into Yamato and Sakura's line of sight, clutching his shoulder and blood staining parts of his face from a minor wound. Sakura immediately switched into healer mode, much to Sai's surprise. Yamato watched them for a moment and then found himself smiling. After all, they did catch what Naruto said earlier. Even being in Orochimaru and Kabuto's company for the past few years didn't diminish the light that was Naruto. Eventually they were well enough to journey back to the village and consult Lady Tsunade.

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A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I'll update again soon. Love you~


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the reviews so far. I've made changes corresponding them since I've first posted this story. Please enjoy this chapter!

Warnings:

Graphic and dark content. Possible triggers.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

About a week after the incident with Sakura, Sai, and Yamato, Naruto was rudely woken up in the middle of the night by someone pinning him down to the bed. This put Naruto on red alert as he had been sleeping in a separate room down the hall from Sasuke. It was dark in his room, almost pitch black, so he couldn't see who was on top of him. Naruto immediately began to twist and turn his body, trying to toss off his attacker, but who ever it was on top of him was strong. Stronger than him. Then it clicked.

Naruto knew who was on top of him. He knew from the familiar feel of powerful chakra which was constantly hovering between light and darkness. The blonde relaxed his body and found himself smiling. "Sasuke," was the faint murmur that escaped Naruto's lips, voice deeper from sleep. Naruto was met with no vocal response, but instead the grip on his arms tightened considerably, causing Naruto to wince.

"Sasuke... What's wrong?"

Silence.

Naruto was roughly flipped over on the bed, now lying on his stomach, head turned to the side on his pillow, long blonde hair cascading messily around his face and upper back. He vaguely registered the feeling of several things slithering along his limbs, possibly snakes. One of them circled around his wrists and held them firmly together. The other two snakes wrapped themselves around his ankles and somehow tied him down to the bed. There was shuffling and then there was dim light coming from a sconce on the wall above his bed, the candle flickering from the draft within the room.

The sudden light in the room, although very dim, caused Naruto to briefly close his eyes and slowly open them, adjusting them to the light within the room. Looking through the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Sasuke's eyes which shone with intensity. The look within those bottomless depths chilled Naruto down to the bone, and left him with an uneasy feeling within his stomach. No matter how angry Naruto made Sasuke, the raven never looked at him like that. Like he absolutely hated Naruto.

There was a moment when neither of them moved or said anything, just stared into each others eyes as a sort of battle of wills. Their eye contact broke when Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the hair and wrenched his upper body painfully off the bed and held a kunai against his throat. The raven stilled his movements, listening to the blonde's panicked breathing before he leaned down and brought his lips next to Naruto's ear.

"My dearest Naruto," came the calm tone of Sasuke's voice. "Formerly known as the Leaf's Number One Unpredictable Ninja, now known as its enemy, a threat. You seem to have forgotten just who you are, so I'm going to do you a favor," the raven paused, jerking Naruto's head back further which made Naruto wince in pain. "I'm going to brand your identity upon your flesh so you'll never forget." With that, he trailed the tip of the kunai across his neck, not hard enough to break the skin. Sasuke then let go of Naruto's hair, allowing him to harshly fall back onto the bed.

A moment passed and Naruto's mind was reeling. Sasuke was snapping, and it was all because of Naruto. All his fault. The blonde was suddenly aware of soft caresses upon his bare back and for the briefest of seconds, Naruto thought that maybe Sasuke was toying with him. That thought died when he felt the kunai digging into the flesh of his right shoulder blade. He was all too aware of the short, quick, shallow cuts Sasuke was making.

Naruto's pained gasps filled the silence of the room, his body going limp by the time Sasuke had stopped cutting into his back. The blonde vaguely registered that he was no longer tied down to the bed, the snakes had vanished. He felt cold fingers tracing the bloody gashes on his back, smearing blood, causing Naruto to look back at Sasuke as best he could. What Naruto saw was worse than the hatred the raven showed earlier. Sasuke was sitting on top of Naruto with a glazed look in his eyes as he toyed with the blood, smearing it all over Naruto and himself.

It took a while for Naruto to find his voice but he finally managed to murmur a faint, "Sasuke?" and when he was met with no response, he somehow grew angry instead of worried. In a quick motion, Naruto twisted his body awkwardly and they both fell onto the cold stone floor. Naruto was now pinning Sasuke down, raising the blood stained kunai as if to strike. Naruto found himself growling at the seemingly unresponsive raven under him, hot tears Naruto didn't realize he was shedding plopped onto Sasuke's cheek, slowly rousing him from what ever mind-scape he was in.

Naruto watched as Sasuke's dark eyes seemed to light up again in the dim light that surrounded them. Sasuke brought up a hand to Naruto's tear stained cheek, a quizzical look in those dark eyes. The blonde froze at the contact, millions of questions dancing in his own mind. Dark eyes widened almost comically, and Sasuke averted his gaze to the blood all over Naruto and himself, and then to the kunai in Naruto's raised hand, the tip pointed at him.

"N-Naruto?" came the faint whisper.

Naruto didn't respond. He merely sat there frozen, watching and gauging the raven he was currently straddling.

Sasuke's eyes brimmed with tears as he grabbed Naruto's wrist and forced the blonde to bring the kunai down, pressing it firmly against his own neck. "Kill me... Please, Naruto. Do it," Sasuke said in a choked tone, sounding like he was on the edge, close to breaking.

Naruto stared down at him, wide eyed and momentarily confused before it clicked. Right here wasn't the Sasuke he had come to know over the past. This Sasuke before him was the naïve child locked deep within. A scared little boy traumatized by what his older brother did to their clan. An aspect of himself that he must have compartmentalized before he began to tread down the path of vengeance. Upon this realization, Naruto felt a pang of guilt stab right through his heart. His actions against Sasuke must have been the last straw.

Not too long ago, Naruto had begun to notice things within Sasuke, especially when Sasuke developed a habit of having sex with Naruto despite them not being romantically interested in each other. Sudden mood changes and his almost possessiveness over the blonde. Almost like he was trying to cling to the last bit of light within himself, that some where deep inside his subconscious, he was scared of succumbing to all the hatred he felt, the lust for vengeance and his own brother's blood. Sasuke was at a constant war within himself, Naruto was sure. Being stuck between pure malicious intent and blood lust that was Orochimaru, and someone like Naruto who was unflinchingly pure despite his life. He doubted the cursed mark helped Sasuke's mental state. Perhaps it was causing more harm to Sasuke with him around, though he'd be damned if he let that snake claim Sasuke.

Snapping out of his inner turmoil, Naruto relaxed his hold on Sasuke and let go of the kunai which clattered to the floor next to Sasuke's head. "Sasuke, listen to me. Everything will be alright. I won't let anything bad happen to you," Naruto murmured soothingly, cupping Sasuke's face with his free hand. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against the raven's. "I'm sorry for my actions before. I didn't mean to make you question my loyalty. I'm here, Sasuke. I'll always be by your side."

Sasuke's vice like grip on his wrist loosened and Naruto took the chance to situate them both so they were sitting up, Naruto straddling Sasuke's thighs. Blood, pain, and wounds long forgotten. Naruto held Sasuke's trembling form against him, his head under Naruto's chin. The room was silent except for the ragged breathing and occasional sniffle.

"Promise me..."

The blonde's brows knit together. "Hm?"

Sasuke took a deep, steadying breath before murmuring, "Promise me you'll never leave me. Promise me that you'll never lose that insufferable hero complex. Promise me that your light will never dim. Promise me, Naruto."

"I promise, Sasuke," came the immediate response. Naruto didn't need to think on it. To him, it was a no-brainer. Not that thinking was ever his forte.

Sasuke gave a satisfied 'hn' before he began to venture for something else he needed. Something he always sought from the blonde recently when ever he felt vulnerable much like he felt right now. The raven began to trail hot, wet kisses along Naruto's neck, arms snaking their way around the blonde's waist, careful to avoid the wounds that now littered Naruto's back. One more thing to put on the list of things Sasuke would never forgive himself of.

Before long they were both naked on the cold stone floor, Naruto straddling Sasuke as they had sex. It was slow, needy, and deliberate. Different when compared to all the other times they fucked. Once they both found release, Sasuke passed out cold.

Naruto sat there for a moment, hovering over Sasuke, his long blonde hair falling around his face. He studied the peaceful look upon the raven's face and found himself smiling. Naruto got up and looked around for the boxers he had worn to bed that night. Once he found them he put them on and went into the bathroom, wet a wash cloth, and went back into his room to clean up Sasuke of all the evidence of that night. It would be better if he woke up clean, like a fresh start. Once Naruto finished cleaning Sasuke, he picked up the raven bridal style and carried him to Sasuke's room as his bed wouldn't be blood stained.

Satisfied that Sasuke was taken care of as best as he was capable of, Naruto trudged back to his room, peeled off his boxers again, and went in the direction of the shower. He turned on the hot water and stood under the spray, not caring that the water was slightly too hot. Naruto hissed in pain caused by the too hot water coming in contact with the wounds. After a moment he grew used to it, or perhaps the wounds healed themselves as he began to feel less and less pain. Naruto watched as bloody water went down the drain with eyes that held a deep sadness. Resting his palms against the cool tile on the wall, Naruto leaned forwards and willed himself to think. He needed a strategy to get Sasuke away from this place and Orochimaru. It was that or kill the snake bastard, though challenging him could be a risk. Both would be inherently risky actually.

Naruto stood under the water for what seemed like hours trying to devise a plan, but nothing was coming to him. Out of frustration, he balled up his fists and punched the wall, cracking the tiles in the process. With a sigh, Naruto turned off the water and walked over to the large mirror within the room. After wiping the mirror clean of fog, and pulling up his long hair in a messy top knot, Naruto stared in the mirror before turning around to try and get a view of the damage Sasuke did to his back.

The wounds had healed, but what was left behind was angry red scars forming lines of kanji. As Naruto read them, he felt tightness in his chest. He felt sick. Sasuke had indeed branded Naruto with his identity. Naruto looked away when his eyes landed on the kanji for monster.

"Yeah... I suppose you're right, Sasuke."

* * *

It had been several weeks since that unfortunate breakdown, but everything seemed to be better after that. Well about as good as things could get when Orochimaru is growing weak and is now constantly testing Sasuke. Needless to say Naruto was feeling uneasy. Currently he was hidden within the forest surrounding a large clearing near their new hideout, watching Sasuke being "tested" by Orochimaru. Really the test was just Sasuke slicing up hordes of Orochimaru's failed experiments and rogue ninja he has no use for. Naruto didn't like the way Orochimaru was leering at Sasuke.

A noise caught Naruto's attention and so he averted his gaze to the direction from whence it came, only to be pulled into a genjutsu. Suddenly his surroundings became distorted and surreal, and stood in front of him was Itachi Uchiha. A man he had come to despise. Naruto immediately took an offensive stance, staring angrily into those red eyes, inwardly cursing himself for his lack of talent in anything genjutsu related.

"Calm down, Naruto."

"No! I'm not sure how you found me, but I'll be damned if I let you capture me without a fight."

"Technically, you already lost. I could do anything I wish while you're in the grasp of my genjutsu, Tsukuyomi," said Itachi in a calm yet bored tone that only pissed off Naruto more. "After all I'm aware that you have zero talent in genjutsu."

Naruto grit his teeth and charged forwards with insane speed. He grabbed Itachi by the front of his black cloak, surprised that the Akatsuki member didn't respond in kind, though his anger had won. Itachi simply stood there, staring down impassively into furious blue eyes.

"What are you up to, Itachi?"

Itachi regarded the blonde jinchuriki in front of him for a moment. "Thank you."

This caught Naruto off guard. A confused expression spreading across his features. "Excuse me?"

"I'm glad that someone is there for my little brother. You're here keeping an eye on him, trying to prevent Orochimaru from getting what he wants. For that I'm grateful. I thank you, Naruto Uzumaki."

"_Your _little brother? You're not Sasuke's brother. You have no right to speak like that, Itachi. Not after what you've done," Naruto said heatedly, his confusion long gone, anger taking its place.

Itachi inclined his head slightly. "You're right. It still doesn't change how I feel. I truly am grateful that Sasuke has someone like you by his side."

Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Itachi as he let go of the Uchiha and took several steps back. "Why are you telling me this? I thought you were after me. What are you playing at, Itachi?"

"Naruto, I'm not here to capture you. Truthfully that was never my goal, a mere pretense. I simply came here to talk to you and give you something."

"Give me something? Never your goal?" Naruto stared at Itachi warily. "How do you expect me to trust you and what you have to say or whatever?"

"I don't. Merely take a leap of faith. I mean you no harm. In fact I wish to give you information about Pain. He is the only Akatsuki member to fear. However, I have something else I wish to tell you... Or rather, show you, first."

"Show me?" was all Naruto was able to get out before he was pulled into a long series of memories that explained the truth behind Itachi's actions. He then went on about Pain and his partner. Once it was done, Naruto openly gawked at Itachi, his mouth slightly agape.

"I don't expect you to understand all of that fully. My loyalty has never strayed from the Leaf. I'm sorry to burden you with all of that. Perhaps one day you can tell Sasuke the truth. Though my original intentions were for him to never find out, to see me as the vile person I am. This leads me to what I wish to give you, Naruto." Itachi stepped forwards, and using his index and middle finger, he tapped Naruto's forehead above the blonde's left eye. Itachi watched as Naruto's left eye flashed red and black, forming the sharingan before fading. "I have found a way to transfer the sharingan and its unique abilities, though it's not limited to the Uchiha, or at least I wasn't sure until now. I'd explain it all to you, but I doubt you would understand."

An indignant look crossed Naruto's features before the blonde reached up and touched his left eye, panic clear in his countenance. "Wait... You just gave me the sharingan? How is that even possible? I'm not an Uchiha, and I doubt I'm a descendant of one."

"Hn," Itachi murmured. "I'm aware. It's not like I awoke the sharingan within you. I told you that I transferred it. Think of yourself as someone like Kakashi Hatake. How I did it is not important."

"Why would you go through the trouble of giving me the sharingan and telling me all this stuff?"

Itachi actually smiled at Naruto as he spoke. "I love my brother. I always will no matter what path he takes in life. I can see that you do, too. That sharingan is special, and it might come in handy later on. The reason I gave it to you is because you remind me of my best friend, the very person who gave that sharingan to me before he died. Take good care of it, and keep the sharingan a secret. Many would kill to have it, especially that one."

Naruto frowned, he felt so many questions bubbling up within leaving him unable to speak. The blonde sighed and rubbed his face tiredly with his hands. Naruto was about to finally speak but he felt fingers on his forehead once again.

"I do not have much time left. I'm going to be placing a seal on everything I've told you, to keep it hidden within your mind so you do not mess with everything. I am a dying man, Naruto. It is my wish to die by my brother's hands. You will not remember any of this until I die. I'm sorry, but I must do this. There will be a second seal that will reveal the secrets and nature of the sharingan you now possess after I die. Make sure Sasuke gets my eyes. Thank you and farewell, Naruto."

Anger was written all over the blonde before his blue eyes glazed over and he was released from the genjutsu. What had been possibly hours of conversation and such within the genjutsu was merely a minute. Naruto slumped against the tree he had been hiding behind while he observed Sasuke and Orochimaru. The blonde felt like he had just awoken and a dream was slipping away. He tried desperately to cling to it, but it was of no use. Naruto shook his head, trying to rid himself of that feeling before returning his attention back to Sasuke and Orochimaru who were still at it.

Once they were done, Sasuke rudely left Orochimaru in the middle of the clearing which was now full of injured and possibly dying individuals. Naruto had heard the comment Orochimaru made about Sasuke never hitting a vital spot and outright killing them, calling him soft. Naruto had suppressed a smile before turning and heading back to the underground hideout, not wanting to get caught spying by Sasuke.

Too bad as it happened anyways. "Seems you've taken to spying on me, hm, Naruto?"

Naruto stopped and turned around to face Sasuke. He began to scratch the back of his head with a big goofy grin plastered on his face. "You know me, Sasuke. Gotta check out the competition, eh?"

"Whatever, dumbass. Let's get going. I want to train with you, as you need help with that wind based ninjutsu," the raven said before roughly bumping into Naruto's shoulder as he passed the blonde. It was more of a playful gesture.

"Bastard," Naruto muttered, not missing the fondness in Sasuke's voice when he called him a dumbass.

* * *

That night Naruto was being rudely shaken awake. The blonde cracked one blue eye open to see Sasuke leaning over him. "Go away, Sasuke," muttered Naruto, his tone final. The blonde immediately fell back to sleep.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. This kid slept like the dead more often than not. Some shinobi. How on earth he was never killed in his sleep was beyond him. Sasuke had been trying to wake Naruto up for the past fifteen minutes and this is as far as he's gotten.

"Oi, Naruto! Wake the fuck up. We need to leave," Sasuke yelled as he kicked Naruto harshly in the ass.

That did it. Naruto sprang from his bed and started to wildly attack Sasuke. "What the fuck is so important that you had to wake me up, bastard?!"

Sasuke quickly restrained Naruto with a summoned snake. "Calm down, idiot. I killed Orochimaru. We need to leave now."

Hearing that sobered up Naruto completely and the snake vanished. "Y-you what?"

"Get dressed and pack what ever you wish to take. Be quick, we need to get going. I'll tell you all about it later," Sasuke said, pulling out a cuff bracelet made out of some weird ivory colored material with several seals etched into it. "Here, put this on when you're done."

Naruto examined it closely, a frown adorning his face. "What's this thing?"

"A bracelet."

"No shit, Sasuke. Why do I need to wear it?"

Sasuke sighed. "You need to wear it because we're going after Itachi now. He is after you, and possibly other Akatsuki members will be on the look out for you too. As much as you've changed over the past few years, you're still very much the loud Naruto that they know. Blonde hair, blue eyes, weird scars on your face. If they have a strong sensory type, they might even be able to tell you have the nine-tails within you. A simple transformation jutsu isn't going to hide you."

Naruto gave him a look. "Naruto, don't be difficult. I know you don't like hiding. Hell it took me months to get you to change your appearance so you weren't as easy to spot. Besides, what I have in mind for you will serve a crucial role within my plans. I'll tell you all about that later. For now I'll try and explain the bracelet to you."

Naruto, who was in the middle of pulling on his tight black shirt, paused and gave him another look. One that promised Sasuke a world of hurt, but Sasuke didn't seem to notice. "It took me about a year to research and create that thing. The right combination of seals. That bracelet will hide your chakra. I doubt even the most adept sensory type shinobi would be able to feel your chakra. It also contains a strong transformation jutsu, one that I designated. I will warn you, Naruto. If you lose yourself and the fox takes over, it will disrupt the seals and your identity will be exposed. Similarly, if something disrupts your chakra, the bracelet might fail for a moment. This thing isn't perfect as I am not adept in fuuinjutsu."

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "You seem like you've tested this thing plenty," Naruto said as he eyed Sasuke suspiciously. "You've also kept this from me. This was your plan all along?"

Sasuke merely stared at him pointedly. "You sleep like the dead most nights, Naruto. It wasn't hard and yes."

"Sometimes you're scary, Sasuke."

Sasuke ignored the jibe, and gave Naruto an exasperated look. "Can you please hurry along? Oh, why not put on the bracelet and see what your new identity will be for a while? I'll go over the details of personality with you later on during our journey to gather up a few necessary individuals."

"Uh, ok," was all Naruto said. Once he was fully dressed in his usual garb and hair pulled up, he donned the bracelet on his left wrist before trudging into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

Naruto looked into the mirror and nearly jumped. Instead of seeing his sunny self, he was staring at a thin woman approximately the same height, pale skin, long, dark red brown hair, and amber eyes. Even with the shock written all over his face, the sharp features of his so called new identity still looked serious and anti-bullshit. Sasuke had included clothing within the transformation jutsu, so his clothing now looked like skin tight black leggings and a crimson tunic belted off at the hips, over which was a black high collared, sleeveless haori that came down to mid-thigh.

"Aw, man. Sasuke why-" Naruto paused in his complaint once he realized his voice. Deep and sultry. Naruto walked back into his room and stared at Sasuke with indignation. "I hate you."

Sasuke couldn't suppress the bit of laughter bubbling up within. "This is coming from the brat that developed the sexy jutsu. Please, Naruto. Don't pretend you don't like it. Oh, by the way. Your new name is Ko."

Naruto gave an unladylike snort at the name, finding it ironic as his new appearance didn't look a bit as happy as the name suggested before muttering something about bastards and always needing to make his life miserable.

* * *

A/N: Please feel free to ask questions regarding stuff within this chapter! I'll do my best to address them in the next chapter. Hopefully giving Naruto a sharingan wasn't too large of a stretch. I didn't like the whole crow thing as poor Naruto has enough large things in his mouth already. We'll find out about Naruto's Ko identity in the next chapter. It'll all be explained!

Ko or Kou means happiness in Japanese.


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